Overview of the History of Valentine's Day
'Love is in the air” when Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Is it true? Valentine’s day is when you shared a love to your loved ones with affection by doing something special for them. In this context it is usually flowers, chocolates and cards. Valentine's Day is a special day that has been set aside in order to pay honor-age to love. How about you? How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? In my house it’s usually going out for dinner or cooking some special dishes. Cakes, puddings, brownies.
Valentine’s greetings date from long time ago when the suitors would sing or recite a romantic verse to their lovers. The earliest known valentine message was sent in 1477 in a form of letter. For many years now we have celebrated Valentine's Day; many of us not knowing how this romantic holiday came about or who it was named after. Do you know that we celebrate the Valentines Day in the memory of Saint Valentine? Shocking right?
Moreover, Valentines day is one of the biggest holidays celebrated around the world, centering America. Over 1 billion valentines are sent all over the world. It is said that teacher’s receive the most valentine each year. Yet, few will stop and ponder why this date singled out, or just whom this Valentine fellow was, that he should have a day named after him.
Also I would like to highlight who is Valentine, why was this special day created and how it is celebrated around the world. Valentine or San Valentino in Italian was a widely recognized 3rd-century Roman saint. He was considered the patron saint of love young people and happy marriages. The reason for his acknowledgment was that he was a priest who stood up against the law and was martyred in the year 270 by the Roman emperor Clausius II Gothicus. 2000 years ago the most powerful army in the world belonged to the Romans. The Romans were so strong that they conquered almost all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.In the 3rd century Rome, was ruled by Claudius II Gothius who was also known as Claudius “the cruel” for his temperament. During his reign, Rome was known for its incessant wars. His greatest victory, and one of the greatest in the history of Roman arms is when he successfully defeated the Goths at the Battle of Nassius thus earning him the name Gothicus. To vontinue, life in the army was severe. The numerous wars made many of the soldiers long the comforts of home. They wanted to get married and settle down. Furthermore, young men in the country refused recruitment in the army as they didn’t want to leave their wife and family. This worried the emperor. A country without soldiers? Impossible! So he made a law prohibiting soldiers and young men in the country from engagement and marriage. All the young men in his empire were forced to join the army. During those days plenty of the Romans were Christians. And one of their leaders was Valentine. Aha! The man we’ve all been waiting for. Valentine believed if a man and woman fell in love with each other they should get married. He saw the injustice and he decided to help couples get married in his church even though now it was against the law. The soldiers wedding were kept a secret. But we know secrets are hard to keep and soon the word got out. The emperor ordered to capture this priest who was said to be the friend of the lovers. Valentine was soon arrested and brought before the emperor who demanded Valentine to admit his mistake and stop helping soldiers to marry. When he refused the emperor sentenced him to death.
Shortly, Valentine was brought to the emperor once more and was issued a verdict, a chance to wriggle out of his punishment if and only if, he realized his mistake and agreed with the emperor about the banishment on marriage. What did Valentine do? Did he agree with the emperor so he could be with his loved one? No. Valentine denied. Valentines execution was set on 14th of February on the year 270 AD. On his last night on earth, he wrote a farewell message to the girl. He signed his love letter “From Your Valentine.” The phrase has lived on ever after. On the marked day, large group of couples stood praying for Valentine outside the prison and threw bunch of roses through the prison cell’s open window. Ever since lovers have sent each other letters with the same signature along with roses on that day and Valentines day became a feast day honoring this great deed of friendship and love.
In general, Valentines Day is celebrated all around the world. It is a major consumer holiday that is celebrated excessively in United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy and Denmark, but not everybody know the history of creating this holiday. Moreover, taking into account the death of Valentine can this day can be called a holiday?
